Baltimore Activist Alert – February 16 – 17, 2020

Baltimore Activist Alert – February 16 – 17, 2020

"I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Friends, this list and other email documents which I send out are done under the auspices of the Baltimore Nonviolence Center.  Go to www.baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com.  If you appreciate this information and would like to make a donation, send contributions to BNC, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218.  Max Obuszewski can be reached at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net.

1] Books, buttons and stickers

2] Web site for info on federal legislation

3] Get involved with NCNR   

4] See What Love Can Do -- Feb. 16

5] Nature’s Witness: Wildlife Photography Exhibit through Feb. 28

6] Becoming Jane Exhibition – through Summer 2020

7] Creating Relationships for Transformational Change – Feb. 16

8] World Peace Meditation Class -- Feb. 16

9] Report Back from Nicaragua – Feb. 16

10] Dying to Live – Feb. 16

11] Saint Francis’ missal -- Feb. 16

12] Feed the Homeless – Feb. 16

13] Know your rights – Feb. 16

14] Global warming? – Feb.16

15] Beautiful Trouble – Feb. 16

16] Talking About Racism – Feb. 16

17] Outlaw Poetry – Feb. 16

18] Black America and the Presidents – Feb. 16

19] Pentagon Peace Vigil – Feb. 17

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1] – Buttons, bumperstickers and books are available.  “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Call Max at 410-323-1607.

2] – To obtain information how your federal legislators voted on particular bills, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/.  Congressional toll-free numbers are 888-818-6641, 888-355-3588 or 800-426-8073. The White House Comment Email is accessible at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.

3] – THE ORGANIZING LIST will be the primary decision-making mechanism of the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR].  It will be augmented by conference calls and possibly in-person meetings as needed.  It will consist of 1 or 2 representatives from each local, regional, or national organization (not coalitions) that wishes to actively work to carry out the NCNR campaign of facilitating and organizing nonviolent resistance to U.S. wars.

To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email address to mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.  Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.  

4] - Let Us See What Love Can Do (William Penn) - Spread the Word.  On Sun., Feb. 16, John Bach, Quaker chaplain at Harvard University, will speak at Germantown Friends Meeting's adult class from 9 AM to 10:20 AM, and at an open discussion at noon, after meeting for worship and refreshments.  His commitment to justice began in the early 1960s, when he visited the South after the murders of the three civil rights workers: Schwerner, Cheney, and Goodman.  He served a prison term for draft resistance during the Vietnam War, and then with equal commitment, marked by prison terms, resisted nuclear weapons which he continues.

An old friend to the decades-old Brandywine Peace Community, John Bach is a member of Cambridge Meeting in Massachusetts. He is author of “Short Time: A Season's Prison Journal.”  Reverse side for more on John Bach.  Germantown Friends Meeting is located at 47 West Coulter Street, Phila., Pa 19144 (corner of Coulter Street and Germantown Avenue) in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Call 215-951-2235. Visit www.brandywinepeace.com.

5] - Through Feb. 28 from 9 AM to 5 PM, see Nature’s Witness: Wildlife Photography Exhibit hosted by the National Wildlife Federation at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1200 New York Ave. NW, WDC 20005. Come marvel at “Nature’s Witness,” an exhibition of 50 powerful wildlife photographs chosen to inspire conservation. Free and open to the public, this National Wildlife Federation exhibit will run until Feb. 28, 2020.  

  All 50 images were entries in annual National Wildlife® Photo Contests, which draw more than 22,000 images from around the world every year. Within the exhibit, one group of images titled “Nature’s Challenge” will raise awareness about some of the threats putting wildlife at risk today, including habitat loss, invasive species, disease and climate change. Another set of photographs titled “Life’s Essentials” will explore how people can help species thrive by gardening for wildlife. Kids attending the exhibit — a family-friendly event — will also be able to pick up a copy of Ranger Rick®, Ranger Rick Jr.™, Ranger Rick Cub™ or one of the National Wildlife Federation’s many other children’s publications. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/2707182892665780/?event_time_id=2707182935999109.

6] – On Sun., Feb. 16 from 10 AM to 6 PM and continuing, check out the Becoming Jane Exhibition, hosted by the Jane Goodall Institute at the National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW, WDC 20036.  Tickets are at www.nationalgeographic.org. The exhibition will continue through Summer 2020. Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace, braved the unknown to give the world a remarkable window into humankind’s closest living relatives: chimpanzees. In this hands-on, transportive multimedia exhibition celebrating her extraordinary life and work, you’ll explore Dr. Goodall’s early years through iconic images and a multiscreen experience and venture on a 3D exploration of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park where she did her famous behavioral research on chimps. You’ll also see a life-size hologram of Dr. Goodall, enter a replica of her research tent, and learn about her current role as a leader in community-centered conservation and youth empowerment. Before you leave, you will find out what you can do today to make a positive impact in the world. 

 The museum is open 7 days a week from 10 AM to 6 PM (last ticket sold at 5 PM daily.) Groups of 20 or more receive discounted museum admission. Contact groupsales@ngs.org to book your group visit today. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/977953615906486/.

7] - Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 2521 St. Paul St., Baltimore 21218, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion at 10:30 AM.  On Sun., Feb. 16, the theme is “Organizing: Creating Relationships for Transformational Change.”  Begin the process of community change by listening to create opportunities for transformational real outcomes. Use the most radical tool to understand why people want change and what are the fundamental characteristics that are necessary to organize to begin the transformational process (Help). Terrell Williams was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri in a place called Cochran Gardens which is a very violent community one mile from the Arch in downtown St. Louis. He attended college at the University of Kansas and later received a bachelor’s degree in Government Public Policy from the University of Baltimore, a master’s in Special and Elementary Education and post certification in Administration and Supervision. He was a retail executive for twenty years and an educator in the Baltimore City School system as Pride coordinator, which is a structured program inside the school system that helped our most violent students with emotional disabilities. Terrell was also an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University with Teach for America. He is currently an associate organizer with BUILD (Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development). Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org. 

8] – On Sun., Feb. 9 from 10:30 to 11:45 AM, join a World Peace Meditation Class, hosted by the World Peace Cafe Baltimore at the Kadampa Meditation Center-Maryland, 900 E. Northern Parkway, Baltimore 21212. Prayers are neither small nor passive actions. Rather, they are a force for change in our shared world. Bring peace to the world through the action of meditating together and dedicating prayers for world peace. The morning includes a guided meditation, talk on Buddhism applied to daily life & a traditional chanted prayer in English. Everyone is welcome – you do not need to be a Buddhist to attend– just drop in!

Following the prayers, everyone is welcome to come to the World Peace Cafe for brunch which always includes pancakes with toppings, and various other delicious foods such as soup, sandwiches, salad, desserts, coffee and teas.  The suggested donation is $5- to $10/adult & $2/child.  Brunch is $6to $8 (less for kids portion). See https://www.facebook.com/events/3084164601626024/?event_time_id=3084164651626019.

9] – Attend a Friends of Latin America (FoLA) Delegation Report Back from Nicaragua on Sun., Feb. 16 at 11:30 AM for pre-event refreshments.  From noon to 1:30 PM, hear the presentation and discussion at the Meeting House, Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia 21045.  Contact Leslie Salgado at cuba_is_hope@comcast.net or 410-381-4899. A group of nine US citizens visited Nicaragua from January 4 to the 15, 2020. During the 12 day stay, they visited hospitals, clinics, farms, and a major prison. They met with doctors and medical staff, unions, cooperatives, a military veterans' group, environmental groups, student groups, peasant women organizations and government officials. The delegation wanted to learn more from Nicaraguans about what is going on there and why the U.S. government has imposed sanctions and warned against travel to Nicaragua. Who was responsible for the violence in Nicaragua from April to July 2018? Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/832395190520085/.

10] -  On Sun., Feb. 16 from noon to 1 PM, get with the Jesuit Refugee Services Speaker Tour: Dying to Live, hosted by the Justice & Peace Committee, St. Ignatius Parish, 740 North Calvert Street, Baltimore 21202.  The Immigration Subcommittee of the St. Ignatius Justice & Peace Committee is co-hosting author and speaker, Danielle Vella with Jesuit Refugee Services. Danielle is JRS’s Reconciliation Program Director, and has written a book entitled "Dying to Live: Stories from Refugees on the Road to Freedom." This book features the stories of refugees from across the globe. Learn more at https://www.st-ignatius.net/immigration-subcommittee-main-page/. See https://www.facebook.com/events/3351290768279718/.

11] - On Sun., Feb. 16 from 12:30 to 2:30 PM, do a Guided Tour at Walters Art Museum, hosted by the Justice & Peace Committee, St. Ignatius Parish, 740 North Calvert Street, Baltimore 21202.  In 1208, Saint Francis opened a missal in the church of San Nicolo in Assisi, seeking the Lord’s guidance for his life and work. He opened the Missal three times at random. Each time the text urged the renunciation of earthly goods. His experience with the Missal was of the deepest importance for Francis’ life and the foundation of the Franciscan order.  This spring, the St. Francis Missal will be on display at the Walters Art Museum for the first time in 40 years. Join in celebrating St. Francis, this relic of touch, and the Walters Art Museum. St. Ignatius will host two guided tours (one in February and another April), and a discussion of St. Francis and the missal with Fr. Justin Ross, Delegate for Religious, Office of the Archbishop. See https://thewalters.org/exhibitions/st-francis-missal/ for more information on the exhibition, which runs from February 1st to May 31st. Sign up with Anne Stephenson; 207-251-6639; stephenson.anne@gmail.com.  Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/465478067670978/.

12] –   On Sun., Feb. 16 from 1 to 4 PM, Feed the Homeless Charity Event, hosted by Skylyne Foundation under the 83 Bridge (the JFX), 407 E. Saratoga St., Baltimore.  Tables, Donations & Volunteers are Needed.  Skylyne Foundation is a 501c3 Non-profit Organization.  Email skylyneFoundation2016@gmail.com or check out https://www.facebook.com/events/853433708431455/.

13] – On Sun., Feb. 16 from 2 to 3 PM, come to a Community Workshop: Know Your Rights, hosted by the Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral St., Baltimore 21201.  Do you know what to do when you’re stopped by the police? This training is to inform Marylanders of their rights so they can make informed decisions, be good witnesses when violations occur, and know their options for taking action.  Presented by facilitator Brittany T. Oliver, families are encouraged to attend together. Oliver is an anti-gender violence activist, leadership coach and strategist, educator and public speaker dedicated to working for equity, justice and accountability. She is the founding director of Not Without Black Women, a volunteer-based organization dedicated to uplifting Black women's issues into the political and public policy sphere, an active member of the Maryland Equal Pay Coalition and the Stop Harassment State Network. See https://www.facebook.com/events/853068341794491/.

14] –Do you wonder what you can do about global warming? Are you ready to connect with your community and learn how you can make a real difference? Come to a free workshop on Sun., Feb. 16 from 3 to 5 PM to learn about Project Drawdown, a comprehensive scientific study of 100 solutions that, together, could start to reverse global warming by 2050. Learn about the study and a sample of the solutions. Engage in conversation with your neighbors about actions that we can take now. Hear from Project Drawdown leaders, in short video clips, about how we can change the conversation about global warming from "game over" to "game on!"  The Berwyn Heights Green Team invites you to "Reversing Global Warming: Introduction to Drawdown" at the Berwyn Heights Town Center, upstairs room.  Enrollment is required and free. Sign up here: http://bit.ly/DrawdownBH1.  Email Geneviève de Messières at demessieresgenevieve@gmail.com.  

15] – On Sun., Feb. 16 from 5 to 7 PM, get over to the Busboys and Poets Takoma, 235 Carroll St. NW, WDC 20012, hosted by Beautiful Trouble.  This is a Card Deck Game Night of fun and games to celebrate the launch of the latest resource for activists and organizers -- the BT Strategy Card Deck!  Learn more about how the deck came to be and how organizers are using this in their real struggles for peace and justice around the globe!  Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/781619765647654/.

16] – On Sun., Feb. 16 from 6 to 8 PM, participate in an Informal Discussion: Talking About Racism w/ Friends & Family, hosted by SURJ Baltimore at Homewood Friends Meeting, 3107 N. Charles Street, Baltimore 21218. This is a space to gather resources, share strategies and practice the skills needed for white folks to take responsibility for educating themselves and confronting racism in their own communities. SURJ is experimenting with a new open-format discussion group that will take place on the 3rd Sunday evening of each month. Participants are invited to name a topic they would like to talk about either in advance or at the beginning of the meeting, and then we will break into groups for informal conversations to share resources, strategies, and experiences.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/2870108299882234/.

17] – Bart Simpson asks you to join Alan Barysh and Dave Eberhardt for an evening of story telling and outlaw poetry at Joe Squared Pizza, 133 West North Ave, on Sunday, February 16th from 4 to 6 PM.  Both poets will have books on sale. If time permits, there will be an open mike. Call 443-239-5325 for more information.

18] - On Mon., Feb. 16 at 7:30 PM, hear about “Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents,” hosted by Institute for Policy Studies at Busboys and Poets, 450 K St. NW, WDC.   Prime yourself at a captivating talk and book signing with Editor and Senior Columnist at Black Agenda Report, Margaret Kimberley.  Throughout the history of the United States, numerous presidents have been remembered as slaveholders, bigots and inciters of racial violence, but were others generally regarded as more sympathetic to the plight and interests of black Americans–such as Lincoln, FDR and Clinton–really much better? And what of all the presidents whose interactions with and impacts on the lives of black America are hardly considered at all? This book is a concise, authoritative exploration of America’s relationship with race and black Americans through the lens of the presidents who are elected to represent and govern all of its people. Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/891714701264041/.

19] – There is a weekly Pentagon Peace Vigil from 7 to 8 AM on Mondays, since 1987, outside the Pentagon Metro stop.  The next vigil is Feb. 17, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker.  Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649.  The vigil will be outside the Pentagon's south Metro entrance and in the designated "protest zone" behind bicycle fences across from the entrance to the Metro.  By Metro, take Yellow Line and get out at the "Pentagon" stop. Do not go to the Pentagon City stop! Go up south escalators and turn left and walk across to protest area. By car from D.C. area, take 395 South and get off at Exit 8A-Pentagon South Parking. Take slight right onto S. Rotary Rd. at end of ramp and right on S. Fern St. Then take left onto Army Navy Dr. You can "pay to park" on Army Navy Dr.,  and there is meter parking one block on right on Eads St. Payment for both of these spots begin at 8 AM.  No cameras are allowed on Pentagon grounds. Restrooms are located inside Marriott Residence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr.

To be continued

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs